Bottle carrier



Q April 1952 E. L. ARNESON 2,594,376

BOTTLE CARRIER Filed NOV. 15 1947 2 SHEET SSHEET 1 I I I JNVENTOR.

ia 4092i drizeaiz,

Patented Apr. 29, 1952 BOTTLE CARRIER Edwin L. Ameson,.Morris, Ill., assignor to Morris Paper Mills, Chicago,

Illinois 1",, a corporation of Application November is, 1947*, Serial No. 785,654

2 Claims.

The present invention pertains to improvements in a flexible, paperboard carrier adapted for the transportation of bottled beverages and the like; and more particularly -to a carrier of this general type which is capable of being erected readily and quickly from a flat, knockeddown condition to an' erected, self-sustaining operative position for the reception of bottles or like contents to be transported.

It is the general purpose of the invention to provide an improved paperboard bottle carrier which is equally well adapted for the reception and storage, display and transportation of either the standard, cylindrical-sided type of bottles,

or of specially contoured bottles such as are represented by the Coca-Cola' type. To this extent, the invention is generally similar to the subject matter of my c'opendin'g application Serial No. 771,489, filed August 30, 1-947, now Patent No. 2,537,614, issued January 9, I951.

It has been found that certain conventional types of bottle carriers tend to lack stability and a self-sustaining quality after being initially set up in erected condition, but prior to disposal of the bottles therein. This arises inherently from the fact that these carriers are ordinarily designed to be readily collapsible from the erected to a knocked-down condition, an adaptability which is on its face inconsistent with great rigidity in erected form.

It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide a readily collapsible, {flexible paperboard bottle carrier of the foregoing general type, yet having novel and improved provisions for sustaining the same in a stable erected condition following initial erecting manipulation thereof, but prior to insertion of the bottles therein, thereby affording a bottle carrier which is reliably self-supporting when empty, hence much more readily loaded at the bottling plant, as well as on other occasions in its use.

It is a further object to provide a collapsible bottle carrier of the above type having means providing retaining walls at the ends thereof which are flexibly connected to the bottom and side walls of the carrier and are quickly and easily erected to an operative, upstanding position, in which they substantially brac'e and stabilize the carrier across its bottom.

A still further object is to provide a carrier having the features referred to in the preceding paragraph, together with further novel, interengaging end walls and divider flaps adapted to exert an additional bracing action for the end of the carrier, thereby to render the carrier still further self-sustaining in nature following initial erecting manipulation thereof, but prior to insertion of bottles or like contents therein.

Yet another object is to provide a bottle carrier which is strongly reinforced by multiple ply construction in itsside wall, end wall and handle parts, particularly at the end wall, where overlapping and adhesively secured flap provisions are incorporated to resist lateral separation of the two halves of the carrier. I g

The foregoing statements are indicative in a. general way the nature of the invention, but other and more specific objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon a full understanding of the construction and operation of the device.

A single embodiment of the invention is presented herein for'purpose of exemplification, but it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible of incorporation in other modified forms coming equally within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 .is a plan View illustrating the blank from which the present carrier is fabricated, showing said ,blank in its initially died out, creased and slitted condition, and with adhesivepreliminarily appliedto appropriate areas thereof;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the blank illustrating the same in preliminarily folded and adhered condition; I 1

Fig. 3 is a plan view illustrating the. carrier in a completed, but flat, knocked-down condition following further manipulation of the folded blank of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view, illustrating the carrier in its operative, erected condition prior to the reception of bottles;

Fig. 5 is a view in section on a line corresponding generally to line 55 of Fig. 4, illustrating the novel co'action of certain parts thereof in initially sustaining the carrier prior to insertion of its bottle contents; and

Fig. 6 is .a. fragmentary, somewhat enlarged view in section on a line generally corresponding to line 6- 6 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, and in particular to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the reference numeral l0 designates an elongated generally rectangular blank of flexible paperboard or cardboard stock of suitable thickness or caliper, from which the carrier of the present invention is fabricated. This blank is creased at H, transversely of its longitudinal dimension and centrally of an inner, bottom forming panel 12 thereof, to bendable subdivide said panel into two identical halves which are adapted to be superposed one on the other when the blank is folded along the line I I. This crease line extends across the entire width of the blank, including the opposed identical marginal areas I3 thereof which are flexibly conjoined to either side of said body along the parallel crease lines I4. A pair of elongated, oval apertures I of substantial size are formed in the blank on the crease line I I, at, either end extremity of the bottom I2. These apertures are for the dual purpose of accommodating the multiple ply thickness of the stock when the material of the bottom end wall forming panels I6, in marginal areas I3, are folded onto bottom I2 and then transversely folded again along the extensions II' of central fold line II. The apertures I5 also permit access of the users fingers at this zone in order to erect the end panels I6.

Side wall panels I'I, I8 are flexibly conjoined to opposite side margins of the bottom I2, along the creased and slitted fold lines I9, 20, respectively, and the marginal areas I3 include, adjacent said side walls, the side wall reinforcing tabs 2|, 22, which tabs project laterally from the respective side walls II; I8 and are flexibly connected thereto by the creases I4. These tabs are of substantial area and are connected flexibly ends of said slits to define tabs 45 adapted to be displaced from the plane of the respective por tions and thereby to expose a pair of spaced finger-receiving openings 45. At opposite lateral margins thereof the handle portions 39, 40 carry reinforcing tabs 41 foldably connected thereto by the creases I4 and the handle portion 49 is provided with a glue lap 48 extending along its outer marginal extremity, being foldably connected thereto along the crease line 49.

In assembling the carrier from the blank shown in Fig. 1 a suitable adhesive is first applied thereto in the manner illustrated in that figure i. e., and the like, generally rectangular with the bottom end wall forming panels It by the like triangular gussets 23, the crease lines 24, serving to hinge gussets 23 respectively to the panels I6 and to the tabs 2|, 22. Said crease lines converge and intersect at the junction of the fold lines I9, 29 with the crease lines I4.

The side walls I'I, I8 have the respective intermediate panels 26, 21 bendably connected thereto along parallel creased hinge lines 28, 29 and the blank is provided with slits coinciding in part with and extending outwardly from said respective crease lines 28, 29, thereby to define divider or partition tabs 3| of substantial area. Tabs 3I normally cover the elongated bottle receiving apertures 32 in said panels and are fiexibly conjoined to the respective panels, adjacent opposite marginal extremities thereof, by the slitted and crease fold lines 33, whereby to be swingable downwardly and inwardly of the interior of the carrier when the same is erected.

The intermediate panels 26, 21 have the respective end wall defining flaps 34, flexibly conjoined thereto by crease lines I4 and said flaps, like the end wall forming panels I6, are hingedly joined to the respective side wall reinforcing tabs 2|, 22 by triangular gussets, denoted 36. Said gussets are defined in part by extensions 28', 29 of the respective creased fold lines 28, 29 and by further inclined fold lines 31 converging with said extensions at the junction point of the respective fold lines 28, 29 with the creases I4. 7

It should be particularly noted that the end wall defining fiaps 34 which are carried by panel 26 are uncreased throughout their area, but that the flaps 35 carried by panel 21 are subdivided into foldably connected, respectively irregular polygonal and triangular areas 35', 35" by the angularly disposed creases 38. Said flaps are adapted to be associated with one another in a novel relationship, in the completed condition of the carrier as will be hereinafter described.

The carrier blank is completed by-the marginal handle portions 39, 49 which are flexibly connected respectively to the panels 26, 21 along the fold lines M, 42. These handle portions carry U-shaped slits 43 and are creased at 44 across the areas 50 of the side wall reinforcing tabs 2|, 22, up to the gusset defining creases 25. The triangular zones immediately adjoining the other gusset defining creases 3I are left free of adhesive. Adhesive is also applied to the handle reinforcing tabs 41 and to the glue lap 48.

The blank is next manipulated by folding the thus treated marginal areas I3 inwardly along the parallel fold lines I4 and causing the respective adhesive carrying zones to fixedly adhere to the body of the blank, i. e., the tabs 2I, 22, being bonded to side walls I'I, I8, thereby greatly stiffening and reinforcing the same; and the tabs 41 being bonded to handle portions 39, 40 with like effect. The triangular subdivisions; 35 of the end wall defining flaps 35 are then folded outwardly and downwardly onto the subjacent area of said flaps and are provided with an adhesive coating as illustrated in Fig. 2. One of the pairs of infolded handle reinforcing tabs 47 is similarly coated and the thus prepared blank is next folded upon itself along the bottom medial fold line I I and pressed together. This causes the adhesive carrying, triangular fiap areas 35" to contact and be secured to corresponding adjacent areas of the infolded, increased end wall defining flaps 34 and the infolded tabs 41 to be united.

The aperturing of the bottom I2 at I5 enables the multi-ply thickness of material adjacent the fold line extension I I' to be accommodated without imposing rupturing stresses on the material at the fold line and also affords access to the panels I6 in erecting the same, as later described. To complete the carrier, the glue lap 48 is next folded along its hinge line 49 and adhesively secured to the adjacent opposite side of the handle portion 39, thereby uniting the handle portions into a unitary handle of 5-ply thickness, counting the glue lap. The completed carrier is illustrated in Fig. 3.

In order to erect the carrier to its operative erected condition for the reception of bottles, the user grasps the same adjacent the opposite ends of the subdivided areas of bottom I 2 and, applying his thumbs through the apertures I5 therein presses the end wall forming panels I6 upwardly. This causes said panels to hinge about the medial fold line extensions l I and gussets 23 to snap outwardly and toward the side walls I1, I8, erecting the panels I6 to position normal to bottom I6 and bracing the same in that position. Said side walls are simultaneously urged automatically toward operative position at a right angle to the bottom, and the intermediate, apertured panels 26, 21 are automatically urged toward inclined positions in which they diverge downwardly and outwardly from the lower margins of the adhesively secured, multi-ply handle portions 39, 49 to the upper margins of the side walls.

In this condition the side walls I'I, I8 have a slight tendency to converge toward one another,

although they are adequately braced transversely adjacent their bottom margins, and the end wall flaps 34, 35 tend to re-collapse inwardly. In order to complete the erection of the carton, the user merely deflects the end walls defined by said adhesively secured flaps 34, 35 outwardly somewhat for clearance and then depresses the depending hinged partition tabs or flaps 3| of the inclined intermediate panel 21 inwardly a trifle. This causes said tab to assume end engagement with the unsecured, overlapped portion of the end wall defining flap 34, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 6. The position of tab 3| which is referred to is shown in dotted line in Fig. 5. As indicated, the overlapped area of flap 34, by which it overextends fold line 38, and at which it is unattached to the flap 35 by reason of the unglued area 35 thereof, remains in its original plane.

The natural spring of the material about the fold lines 38 at either end of the carrier causes this end retaining engagement to be maintained, once the tabs 3| are depressed downwardly and inwardly in the manner pointed out. It sufiices to hold the upper portions of the side walls willciently expanded for the ready reception of the bottles. When finally inserted in the bottle receiving openings 32, the bottles themselves engage the inner surfaces of the substantially overlapped fiaps 34, 35, thrusting the same to coplanar relation, as illustrated in solid lines in Fig. 5, and deflecting the partition tabs inwardly to their final position.

The overlapping of flaps 34, 35 produces a strong joint of the end walls in this area which is very effective in preventing lateral separation of the two halves of the carrier under loads which normally tend to have this effect, as pointed out in detail in my copending application identified above. The end walls are also strongly braced, in the erected condition of the carrier, by the retaining panels l6, which of course serve to prevent lateral slippage of the bottoms of the bottles from the confines of the carrier.

I believe it novel with me to provide a collapsible bottle carrier of the foregoing type which combines with the bottom, snap type, end wall bracing panels the further substantially overlapped and secured end wall flap provisions. The particular coaction of the last named provisions with a further internal separating tab or flap of the carrier to assist in sustaining the end wall in erected condition prior to insertion of its contents is also novel, to my knowledge. I therefore desire that the appended claims be construed no more limitedly than is consistent with the actual state of the art.

I claim:

1. A collapsible carrier for bottles and like articles, comprising in erected condition a bottom, side walls flexibly connected to opposed side margins of said bottom, and end walls, said end walls including a pair of flaps of substantial area connected to end margins of said side walls and secured in substantially overlapped relation to one another in the general plane of the end wall in said erected condition, said end wall flaps being foldably collapsible to superposed relation to one another between said side walls in a relatively flat, knock-down condition of the carrier, means having restraining engagement with the internally disposed panel of said pair to assist in maintaining said carrier in said erected condition, and a further end wall member including gusset connected portions hingedly connected to each of said side walls and bottom and disposed between said side walls in said knock-down condition, one of the portions of said end wall member being adhesively secured to one of said side walls and the other portion of said member ex tending between and further bracing said side walls and bottom adjacent the latter in said erected condition.

2. A collapsible carrier for bottles and like articles, comprising in erected condition a bottom side walls flexibly connected to opposed side margins of said bottom and end walls, said end walls including a pair of flaps of substantial area connected to end margins of said side walls and secured in substantially overlapped relation to one another in the general plane of the end wall in said erected condition, said end wall flaps being foldably collapsible to superposed relation to one another between said side Walls in a relatively fiat, knock-down condition of the carrier, a panel bendably connected to said carrier and adapted to be disposed internally of the carrier in its erected condition, the innermost of said overlapped end wall flaps having restraining engagement with said internally disposed panel to assist in maintaining said carrier in said erected condition, and a further end wall member including gusset connected portions hingedly connected to each of said side walls and bottom and disposed between said side walls in said knock-down condition, one of the portions of said end wall member being adhesively secured to one of said side walls and the other portion of said member extending between and further bracing said side walls and bottom adjacent the latter in said erected condition, one of said portions being gusset connected to one of said fiaps.

EDWIN L. ARNESON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,574,520 Singer Feb. 23, 1926 1,991,165 Buckett Feb. 12, 1935 2,314,895 Powell Mar. 30, 1943 2,345,568 Arneson Apr. 4, 1944 2,357,009 Klein Aug. 2 9, 1944 2,362,990 Crane Nov. 21, 1944 2,368,203 Crane Jan. 30, 1945 2,432,481 Lyons Dec. 9, 1947 2,453,908 Harhay Nov. 16, 1948 

